About me
Introduction
Hi, I’m Cherie! With over a decade of experience in mobile ecommerce, I blend the technical precision of a Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics with the intuitive eye of a digital artist. My background in hospitality taught me that great UX should feel personal, not just functional; I design for that "magic" where clarity meets soul. By leveraging AI to handle the mechanical heavy lifting, I carve out more space for the thoughtful, "a little bit extra" details that bring a product to life. Whether I’m architecting a user flow, running my Etsy shop, or crafting a D&D one-shot, I’m driven by a simple goal: making things that are as delightful to use as they are beautiful to look at.
Interests and hobbies
A little section to round out the professional purpose of this webpage. Who’s the person behind it, really? What do they like—and what are they like? Sections like this can go a little bit longer because it’s nice to learn more about what makes someone tick.
Work Experience
Principal UX Designer
Gap Inc.
June 2017 – May 2024
- Led mobile app design across Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, balancing brand-specific needs within a unified platform.
- Owned critical commerce flows end-to-end, including homepage, search, product discovery, PDP, checkout, and user profile.
- Designed and launched high-impact features such as:
- Autocomplete search suggestions for faster product discovery
- Color swatches on PLP for improved browsing experience.
- Self-service order cancellation tools to deflect costly service center traffic
- Dynamic homepage templates and loyalty header updates to surface personalized content
- Favorites and “Buy It Again” features to increase engagement and repeat purchases
- Collaborated with engineering and brand stakeholders on visual redesigns for Banana Republic and Athleta, applying new brand systems across app UI in Figma and managing handoff with devs.
- Partnered closely with researchers and data analysts to validate design hypotheses and defend UX rationale to senior leadership.
- Contributed to app/web parity efforts, leading the collaboration between mobile and web designers to align visual and interaction patterns—especially across the category and homepage experiences.
- Acted as accessibility advocate, pushing toward AA/AAA compliance with tap target sizing, contrast, and legibility improvements.
- Proactively led Figma system updates, improved plugin usage, and stepped in to oversee component library upkeep during turnover.
- Mentored junior designers, gave regular critique, and partnered with team leads to level up design quality and cross-brand consistency.
- Worked on proof-of-concept features like Store Mode (barcode scanning, in-store UX), AR integrations, and influencer-driven content modules.
- Owned QA for UI details where dev teams fell short—documented bugs, annotated Figma files, and created JIRA stories to ensure polish.
- Navigated constant reorgs, shifting priorities, and competing brand agendas, adapting quickly and delivering under tight timelines.
UX Consultant
Freelance + ChefsFeed
July 2016 – May 2017
Supported startups and small teams with UX audits, product flows, interaction design, and usability testing. Delivered low- to high-fidelity mockups, created specs, ran research, and provided practical recommendations to improve product clarity and engagement.
As a consultant for ChefsFeed, evaluated their web platform and redesigned key areas of the IA and layout to better guide user flow and improve engagement metrics.
Lead UX Designer
MoneyGram International
June 2015 – April 2016
Introduced Lean UX practices and led the design of a mobile proof-of-concept for cash transfer staging. Conducted user research, validation testing, and high-fidelity design across new product development. Also redesigned the POS system through deep collaboration with product teams and end users.
Interaction Designer + Visual Design Intern
GoPro
June 2014 – June 2015
Owned interaction specs for GoPro’s camera UI, collaborating with firmware and QA to ensure behavior matched design intent. Ran user research and internal usability studies, created low-fidelity prototypes, and produced internal visual assets. Also served as the team’s “fun committee” lead, organizing team-building events and socials.
Usability & Ethnographic Research Intern
UEGroup
March 2013 – June 2013
Developed and ran usability tests, conducted ethnographic interviews, and delivered research reports to inform UX and product decisions for client projects.
Education
MS Human Factors and Ergonomics
San Jose State University
2011 - 2014
Relevant coursework: HCI, IXD, Usability Testing, Experiment Design, Psychology, Advanced Statistics, Physiology and Ergonomics.
BS Hospitality Business Management
San Jose State University
2007-2011
Focused on Event Planning
Studied abroad in Scotland for a year at Napier University.
